Program Specialist, Swine

Ohio State University Extension

Area Swine Agent

Michigan State

In order to raise a leaner animal, farmers had to change their breeding programs and use more efficient and nutritious feed, said Dale Ricker, Ohio State University Extension program specialist in swine.

Dale Ricker (center), Ohio State University Extension swine program specialist, received the Ohio Pork Producers Council Service Award.Among his many service activities, Ricker has been handling Pork Quality Assurance trainings for Ohio producers since 1998, been a Transportation Quality Assurance adviser since 2007, coordinates the Ohio Swine Health Symposium and serves as the assistant superintendent of the Ohio State Fair Swine Skillathon.

At the ATI's swine facility, also located near Apple Creek, Dale Ricker, OSU Extension swine specialist, demonstrated proper technique for showing a pig.Although many of the skills he taught are useful for exhibitors in their showmanship classes, the skills of being a good showman also apply to the market-only classes, he explained.

Ricker said if he's judging a class of pigs for the final drive, trying to select a champion, and two of the three remaining are acting up and the other is behaving well, it's likely he "will pick the one acting like a champion."

He told students they need to keep their pigs moving and try to keep them off the rail, giving the judge a number of different views.He said it's important for exhibitors to keep their eye on the judge, but also to be mindful of what they're doing and not neglect showing the pig for eyeing the judge.